Communities of practice Today, I attended the full-day Seminar-Workshop on Academic Practice at Philippine Normal University. The culminating module is about building communities of practice that can help transform the higher education landscape of the country. Different disciplines and institutions are highly contextual. We have our own challenges to face, our own “truths” and experiences […]
When the work is done When the work is done, does it feel like ticking a box in our checklist? Does it feel like something is done but another will come? Does it feel fulfilling? Does it feel empty? Does it feel meaningful? Does it feel absurd? If our work is sucking the soul out […]
On centeredness, zen, and peace From an attention-seeking perspective, extremes are headturning. The heights of pleasure or the controversy of scandals can captivate an audience, even if the attention being paid is fleeting. But so many thoughts in diverse sources advocate finding the golden mean – the elusive balance and harmony, centeredness. It can labelled […]
“Insighting with” and “talastasan” Groupthink can happen if all members of the group decide to stop with the authentic practice of paying attention to experiences, being intelligent in understanding, being reasonable in assessing, and being responsible with deciding and acting. It would be such a disservice to let groupthink happen because instead of covering each […]
We ask for joy, not for pleasure Pleasure and joy can be seen as synonymous, but if we reflect about it, they are different. Pleasure is more fleeting; joy is more lasting, encompassing, and meaningful. We should be careful not to conflate the two. What is pleasurable now may lead to suffering later, and what […]
Pain points are signals of opportunities Whether it be dealing with illnesses or seeking growth, we are prone to experience pain points. Pain points are not necessarily bad; they could be signals that there are opportunities to improve ourselves or at the very least chances to remove ourselves in undesirable situations. Maybe when we pray, […]
Timing “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.” Thoughts and ideas may come and go, but an insightful person should know when there is momentum for an idea to turn into an action or a movement. John 16:16-20. So they said, “What is this ‘little while’ of which he speaks? […]
It takes time to brew insights The pursuit of insight is hardly linear. It is messy and iterative. It is almost impossible to manufacture and it can be unexpected.It feels like solving a big, tough puzzle. I can’t hurry it or simply make it happen. For me, it’s like walking a winding path, not a […]
The roles we have to play There are times when we are called to commit to a vocation. We may start reluctantly because of our limited understanding of ourselves or the mission we have to fulfill. But we have roles to play. There are times when we have to step up. There are times when […]
The road to hell is paved with good intentions We must pay attention to our experiences, thought processes, emotions, and biases. It is easy to think that good intentions automatically translate to good means and processes; unfortunately, that is not the case. Not only must we pay attention to our own self, but we must […]